"Mom knows." A simple text that would change two twin brothers' lives forever. Coming out is hard. The struggle is ongoing, a daily part of life whether to a new friend, a co-worker, or most importantly yourself. Pray the Gay Away chronicles Michael and Zach as they face awkward sexual encounters, drug-fueled escapades, coming out to each other, and their biggest foe - Mom, a woman who not only gave birth to what she calls one regret - but two. The memoir hilariously and poignantly explores what it’s like growing up as gay, Iraqi twins in modern America. Pray the Gay Away was inspired the night Mom snuck into their bedroom and force fed them “holy grapes,” determined to “de-gay” them. The Zakar Twins are new voices speaking out against generations, particularly within the Iraqi culture, who look down on being gay. This book is not only for the LBGTQ community, but for young adults, looking to achieve normalcy.

Shows like "Transparent," "Doubt" and "Queen Sugar" have helped boost the number of lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender characters on U.S. television to a record high, a report from the advocacy group GLAAD said on Thursday.

The all-new app – available on tvOS, Chromecast and Roku – aims to provide the best "queerated" entertainment.

Matt Skallerud's insight:

According to a recent GLAAD report, shows on Netflix and Amazon Video have more LGBT characters than all the broadcast TV channels combined. But even in these streaming services, transgender characters and racially diverse gay characters are still noticeably lacking.

A brand-new streaming app, Revry, launched this summer to help close this gap by exclusively showcasing LGBT entertainment—web series, short films, documentaries, podcasts, music videos, viral videos, and other “snackable” digital content—made by indie creators from all over the world. Revry is the first LGBT-focused streaming app for tvOS and Chromecast, and it’s also currently available on iOS, Android, Roku, and on the web. You can sign up for a monthly Revry subscription for $5 a month, or $55 a year.

We've picked the best, brightest, most up-and-coming local L.A. comedians that you should keep your eye on in 2018 for lots of laughs

Matt Skallerud's insight:

If you recognize Zach from his short film “Killer Friends” (which won the overall audience award at Dances with Films), know that he is not the infuriatingly undermining character he plays. Rather, his stand-up mostly makes fun of himself—and of aging gay men in Palm Springs, which may one day be himself.

Cody Alan, host of CMT's Hot 20 Countdown and producer of iHeartRadio's CMT After Midnite and CMT Radio Live, publicly came out as gay today with a heartfelt Instagram post directed at fans and followers.

The streaming service of 'queerated' content will launch original programming this fall.

Matt Skallerud's insight:

REVRY: the world's first LGBT streaming content platform, now available on Apple TV, Google Chromecast, Roku, and iOS and Android smartphones. And it's basically the Netflix of queer and trans media. REVRY has launched with nearly 200 hours of licensed "queerated" content, much of which started as indie projects on YouTube. Jinkx Monsoon's Capitol Hill, HIV-positive drama Unsure/Positive, and Cooking With Drag Queens are just three examples of the kind of bootstrapped queer content that REVRY has brought to streaming TV devices for the first time. There's even music: REVRY features licensed podcasts like Homoground that are already wildly popular with LGBT listeners.

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